I have a 01 X5 3.0L and I changed the pads today, but for some reason it feels like their is air in the system..... I heard people say that most pads don't give you the stopping power of OEM.... these pads are from Autozone and I was wondering whats the best way to check if their is air in the brakes?

Autozone pads are horrible. That's why you feel a difference in the brakes. As long as you didn't bleed the brakes at all, there should be no air in the lines. The problem is the duralast pads or whatever Autozone is using these days. You can get a set of Pagid brake pads, for the front, from www.bavauto.com for about $60. I used these on my E46 and they were amazing.

Dam.... I forgot to check bavauto, and I don't think I can return brake pads after I used them, so I think I might be stuck with bad pads for a while, The only reason I got the pads was because I have an autozone a mile away, and I thought there lifetime warranty might be good, but I will never go with these pads again, Next time I've got to check Bavauto before replacing them.

If they have the lifetime warranty, Autozone should take them back. Just tell them they squeak, throw break dust everywhere, and have no stopping power on your vehicle which is a safety concern for you.

Also check out Zeckhausen Racing. They sell Axxis brake pads which I have been using on both my X5 and Z4. All the performance of OEM pads and very little dust.

https://store.zeckhausen.com/catalog/index.php

All pads will feel a little crappy and spongey if you haven't bedded them in properly. Search for brake bed or something like that and it'll give you an idea of how to do it.

In a nutshell, you brake from increasingly higher speeds with increasingly firmer pedal pressure a dozen times or so. So you'd get up to 25 and stop moderately a couple times, then up to 40 and stop moderately a couple times, then up to 50 and stop moderately acouple times. Then drive around for 5 minutes to let the brakes cool... then go up to 40 and stop a liitle more agressively, then up to 50 and more aggressivley. Drive to let the brakes cool.... Then do a few panic stops from 50 or so and then they're bedded in.

any difference between the Axxis brake pads an the Pagid brake pads?